“WireCrafters has been an exemplary corporate citizen in Kentucky for many years and stands as a testament to how businesses can grow and thrive in the commonwealth,” Gov. Bevin said. “Beginning as a small operation in Louisville, it has developed into a national industry leader. Its sturdy reputation has been built through a half century of strong leadership and a commitment to the highest quality. We are grateful to the company for this major investment and look forward to their continued growth in the years ahead.”

WireCrafters will add 26,000 square feet to its facility on Strawberry Lane, providing more space for its welding department. That will create jobs within its welding, finishing and shipping operations. Due to a lack of space, the company has seen its turnaround time in shipping products to customers extend to as much as 24 work days. Its goal with this expansion is to cut that to 10 days.

“At WireCrafters, we hold ourselves to high standards, one of which is shipping a quality product on time. To continue this tradition, our growing company needs to expand its physical plant and increase investment in production equipment,” said Steve Diebold, president of WireCrafters. “We look forward to the new jobs this project will create here in Louisville, and are proud to build and ship ‘The Very Best Wire Partitions’ from our home on Strawberry Lane.”

WireCrafters opened in Louisville in 1967 as a wire job shop. In 1984, the company moved to its current Strawberry Lane facility to accommodate its growing business. The company since bolstered its staff from 40 employees to 155 associates across two shifts, establishing itself as a leading provider of wire partitions in the US. The company manufactures partitions for tool cribs, secured storage areas and maintenance cages, as well as machine guards, physical barriers for robotic work cells, pallet rack backing, vertical lift enclosures and DEA-approved pharmaceutical enclosures. In addition to the Louisville operation, WireCrafters has a warehouse located in Sparks, Nev.

Mayor Fischer thanked the company for its commitment to Louisville.

“WireCrafters’ investment and expansion in Louisville dovetails with our city’s commitment to be one of the top manufacturing cities in the US. By investing in our pipeline of skilled workers, WireCrafters is providing workforce opportunities now and for the next generation of advanced manufacturing,” Mayor Fischer said. “I applaud the Diebold family and their employees for their commitment to Louisville. This is the type of organic growth we look to foster throughout our city.”

Sen. Perry Clark, of Louisville, said the community is prepared to meet WireCrafters’ needs to build on 50 years of success.

“Our community welcomes this expansion and investment that will result in additional job opportunities and a boost to our local economy,” Sen. Clark said. “We are ready to meet the company’s labor needs with a skilled and dedicated workforce. WireCrafters has been a good corporate partner in Louisville for five decades and I look forward to continuing that successful relationship.”

Rep. Jeffery Donohue, of Fairdale, noted the company’s successful history in the commonwealth.

“I want to congratulate WireCrafters for investing in our community for the past 50 years and for taking this step to build an even stronger future,” Rep. Donohue said. “This announcement says a lot about the company’s leaders and about our community and its workforce as well. WireCrafters’ success is further proof that we’re doing the right things economically.”

To encourage the investment and job growth in the community, the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority (KEDFA) in February preliminarily approved the company for tax incentives up to $1 million through the Kentucky Business Investment program. The performance-based incentive allows a company to keep a portion of its investment over the agreement term through corporate income tax credits and wage assessments by meeting job and investment targets.

In addition, WireCrafters can receive resources from the Kentucky Skills Network. Through the Kentucky Skills Network, companies can receive no-cost recruitment and job placement services, reduced-cost customized training and job training incentives. In fiscal 2017, the Kentucky Skills Network provided training for more than 120,000 Kentuckians and 5,700 companies from a variety of industry sectors.

The Kentucky Cabinet for Economic Development is the primary state agency responsible for encouraging new jobs and investment in the state. New capital investment announced in Kentucky in 2017 totaled a state record $9.2 billion, spurring more than 17,200 projected new jobs. Information on available industrial properties, workforce development assistance, incentive programs, community profiles, small business development and other economic development resources is available at www.ThinkKentucky.com.